Debut of the Month - All About Pushing the Limits + Giveaway

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Book Profile

Name - Pushing the Limits (Goodreads)
Author - Katie McGarry
Genre - Contemporary
Release Date - 1st August 2012
Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond | The Nile 

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

The Insider's Scoop

This is a small portion of two chapters I ended up deleting from Pushing the Limits. The ending of Echo's chapter...

 “Echo!” Luke said in alarm behind me right as I rammed into a wall of solid muscle. My eyes drifted up and I was greeted to twinkling dark brown eyes and a wicked grin that stirred my soul. Double freaking crap. 

Noah

The smile stretched across my lips the moment Echo’s eyes met mine and they stretched even wider when she swallowed and stuttered out some words. “Hi, Noah. I mean sorry. You know. For running into you.”

“We’re good.” Very good. She could stand this close to me anytime.

Echo sucked in a breath as she drew her eyes away from me and took a huge step back. “What are you doing here?”

“Five dollar pizza.” Two larges for eight dollars. Isaiah, Beth, and I would starve without that meal deal from this place and the leftovers I brought home from work.

“Yeah.” She overly shrugged. "Of course.”

I chuckled at her poor attempt at nonchalant and loved when her cheeks turned bright red.

A shadow stepping near Echo caught my attention and caused my muscles to tense, preparing for an attack. Part of me relaxed when I noticed Echo’s overgrown ape boyfriend hovering behind her. 

“When did you two become friendly?” Luke asked.

Echo angled her body so that she stood between me and the ape. “Oh, it’s okay, Luke. I began t…” Her mouth formed the u to finish the word tutoring and she trailed off while giving me a quick glance under her eyelashes. “We’re…uh…working…together…um…on…”

Echo’s eyes blinked like a man caught in a hurricane at sea. Damn, this girl couldn’t lie and a part of me softened that she was willing to lie to save face for me. “She’s tutoring me.”

~Giveaway~

Harlequin Teen has offered (3) Copies of Pushing the Limits to give away! 

Rule of Entry -

- Open to US/CAN residents and AUS/NZ residents 

- Ends 16th of September

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on either of Katie's posts +1 each

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Katie on Twitter +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky or RSS +2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

Debut of the Month - All About Katie McGarry (Pushing the Limits)

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Debutante Profile

Name – Katie McGarry

Debut – Pushing the Limits

Genre – Contemporary

Website – HERE

Blog – Here

Twitter - HERE

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Dream Debutante Dress -  My dream debut dress would be my Senior prom dress. I absolutely loved it and I would be thrilled if I could ever fit into it again! And yes, that is me as a teenager.

Notes from a YA Debutante

1) I’m terrified of dead things, the mention of dead things, cemeteries, and funeral homes. I stayed up for forty-eight hours straight after watching Night of the Living Dead.

And people wonder why I write contemporary.

2) I live a block away from a cemetery.

3) In fact, I don’t like scary movies, but I’m drawn to them. I’ll always pester my friends to tell me all about the movies I’m too frightened to see.

4) In college, I was hanging out at the beach one night and by pure luck I got to watch hundreds of baby sea turtles hatch and wander out to sea. I screamed when I first saw the hundreds of small blobs moving on the sand.

5) My best friend owned a dog that ate out of the garbage and dragged its butt on the floor when it walked. We used the dog to test the guys we wanted to date. The guys who petted the dog were keepers.

 My husband petted the dog.

6) I discovered, when I was a child, that bees swarm when you piss them off. My parents discovered that I was not allergic to bee stings.

7) As a teenager, I read THE OUTSIDERS so much that the cover fell off and almost every page in the book was dog-eared.

8) Before we were dating, my husband left daisies on my car. He turned bright red when I hugged him in front of his friends when I figured out he was the one who left them.

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Bookie's Note: Thank-you Katie for that wonderful post to kick off August Debut of the Month! You don't know how jelly I am of the fact that saw BABY TURTLES WANDER INTO DA SEA! That's on my bucket list! And The Outsiders is a great book, I read it last year and my book is in tatters as well and covered in sticky notes where I've marked all my favourite quotes! And I think it's normal to fear dead things, I know I do??? O_O Haha, and everyone else come back tomorrow for a giveaway and the 2nd half of Katie's feature!

Badass Bookie xx

Masque of the Red Death

Review Time! Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin is probably one of the 2012 YA releases that most people have read. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for quite a while now but since it's released this month in Australia - it only makes sense to review it now! You can purchase a copy of the book here - Fishpond | The Nile | Booktopia | Dymocks | Angus and Robertson. Thanks to Hachette for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

The Short Story? - Edgy, dramatic and deliciously dark, Masque of the Red Death completely blew my breath away. Griffin's retelling of Poe's foreboding tale is one of my favourite YA releases of the year! Excellent world-building, a captivating plot and a hauntingly beautiful protagonist, Griffin has truly outdone herself with her sophomore novel! Masque of the Red Death is a must-read for fans of steampunk and gothic horror YA!

The Long Story? - For the last ten minutes I've tried to place Masque of the Red Death into a genre and I really can't. It's so unique, it falls into a variety of genres. Post-apoclytic, gothic horror, steampunk, dark YA and to an extent supernatural. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is something in this book for everyone. The premise for this novel is quite amazing, I know it's a retelling of Poe's Masque of the Red Death (which I haven't read) but I can't imagine it to be any better than this. It's a complex plot that's unpredictable and filled with twists and turns. The setting is eerily beautiful and seductive and there is a hypnotising quality to Griffin's prose that lures you in and never let's you go. Masque of the Red Death is so well-written, it would truly be a shame to give this one a miss. Putting the brilliance of this novel into words really does it no justice, it's just one of those books that you MUST read!

I like to read through negative reviews before writing my own review and one of the things I picked up was the inability to connect with Araby. I can safely say that *I* bonded with Araby like nobody's business. Araby isn't what I would call a typical protagonist, she's a lot darker, timid and lost. I felt like her grief over the death of her brother has affected her so deeply, she's lost a part of her that was human. Personally, I loved Araby as a protagonist, her detached personality is something that really reached out to me and I could really connect with Araby through her grief. I just adored her. I've always found myself drawn to the darker boys of YA fiction and Elliott was no exception. There was a quality about him that made him desirable and incredibly HAWT and I think I've developed a hero complex because there is something sad about Elliott and I just want to *save* him! Will was also a great character but he just didn't really appeal to me the way Elliott did. There is something artificial about good boys that turns me off! Overall, a solid characterisation.

I don't want to be a book pusher but Masque of the Red Death couldn't have been more perfect! Griffin is a remarkable author who has really hit the nail on the head with this novel. She understands YA and her writing really comes to life. I can't wait to see where the story leads Araby and her friends next because the ending was quite spectacular. Even if they're quite different, I think lovers of Daughter of Smoke and Bone would really enjoy Masque of the Red Death! This one is brilliant!

What's it Worth - Break Out the Piggybank

Badass Bookie xx

Throne of Glass

Review Time! Published August 2nd, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is a 2012 YA Debut! There has been so much hype about Throne of Glass, I'm sure everyone has heard about it and if you're like me - I bet you're dying to get your hands on a copy! You can purchase a copy of the book from Fishpond | The Nile | Booktopia | Dymocks | Angus and Robertson. Thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy!

(Goodreads) In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

The Short Story? - Maas doesn't fail to impress with her highly anticipated debut, Throne of Glass! Assassins, royalty, saving the kingdom and romance, Throne of Glass is an extraordinary debut with wonderful characters and a phenomenal plot. Beautifully written and set in a medieval world, where magic is banned and the king is evil, Throne of Glass is highly entertaining and exciting to read. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore!

The Long Story? - There has been quite a few mixed reviews about this book but *I* really liked Throne of Glass. Before writing this review, I read through some of the negative reviews and I don't agree with them because for me, Throne of Glass was fantastic! I loved the concept of the storyline, the assassin who must now fight for the very people who she hates to gain her freedom and Maas did a beautiful job turning this idea into words on paper. A beautifully told story packed with action and romance. I would have liked to see more world-building, Maas imagined this wonderful medieval world and it seemed like a shame that she didn't use the majority of it. I would have liked to see scenes that were set outside the castle but overall, still a great debut that I would highly recommend to fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore!

The characterisation was good. Maas has set a solid foundation for her characters and I'm very intrigued to see where they progress from here. Celaena is the kind of girl I would love to call a friend, she's strong, quite quick tempered and unafraid to voice her opinions. She's a flirt and she loves to joke but underneath that, she's a lost girl and her journey to finding herself has so far been very captivating. Dorian reminded me of Archer from Fire by Kristin Cashore. He was a huge flirt but his heart was in the right place and his love for Celaena was quite obvious towards the end. Chaol, was amazing. There is just this air of mystery around him, he keeps to himself, he's ruggedly handsome and gruff, there was just something about him that made him more intriguing than Dorian. He was less polished and more realistic. I wouldn't call the romance a love triangle but it's probably the start of a love triangle, both boys clearly have feelings for Celaena and I'm keen to see who she chooses.

In a nutshell, Throne of Glass was thoroughly entertaining! I would definitely pick this up if you're a fan of Kristin Cashore or Maria V. Snyder or YA fantasy in general. Maas has written an extraordinary debut that will appeal to a wide audience. Beautifully written, fantastic characters and a captivating and engrossing plot that kept me entertained from start to finish. I can't wait to see where the story leads Celaena next. Two thumbs up!

What's it Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck

Badass Bookie xx

The Bookie Showcase #3 ( 2013 Edition )

The Bookie Showcase is a special feature on the blog that comes around at irregular intervals. Inspired by Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Breaking the Spine and Books to Pine For by The Story Siren. The Bookie Showcase basically showcases upcoming YA novels you that might not have heard about! Check out Edition #3!

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
St Martin's Press
January 22nd 2013 

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.
Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical, Uses for Boys is a story of breaking down and growing up.

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum
Harper Teen
January 8th 2013

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.
Nick, Kevin, and Cass have spent their whole lives in a community in the wilderness, hiding out from the robots that have enslaved mankind. But when the bots discover their location, they barely make it out alive — only to discover that their home has been destroyed and everyone killed or captured. Now, the siblings must risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith
Putnam Juvenile
March 7th 2013

First came the storms.
Then came the Fever.
And the Wall.

After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.
Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool 
Random House for Children's Books
January 8th 2013

At the end of World War II, Jack Baker, a landlocked Kansas boy, is suddenly uprooted after his mother’s death and placed in a boy’s boarding school in Maine. There, Jack encounters Early Auden, the strangest of boys, who reads the number pi as a story and collects clippings about the sightings of a great black bear in the nearby mountains.
Newcomer Jack feels lost yet can’t help being drawn to Early, who won’t believe what everyone accepts to be the truth about the Great Appalachian Bear, Timber Rattlesnakes, and the legendary school hero known as The Fish, who never returned from the war. When the boys find themselves unexpectedly alone at school, they embark on a quest on the Appalachian Trail in search of the great black bear.

But what they are searching for is sometimes different from what they find. They will meet truly strange characters, each of whom figures into the pi story Early weaves as they travel, while discovering things they never realized about themselves and others in their lives.

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
Random House for Children's Books
January 8th 2013

When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service?the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive. — Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect adornment of plainness.
But Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose. 

Hysteria by Megan Miranda
Walker Childrens
February 5th 2013

Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear . . .

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

Blaze By Laurie Boyle Crompton
Sourcebooks Fire
February 1st 2013

Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now...

Pulse by Patrick Carman 
Katherine Tegen Books
February 26th 2013

The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too.
In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both. 

 

Linked by Imogen Howson
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
March 28th 2013

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere.


Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.

That Time I Joined The Circus by J.J. Howard
Scholastic Point
2013 - NO IDEA WHEN

A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake—and facing a terrible tragedy— Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi’s mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.

When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn’t there…but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus’s fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.

But then Lexi’s ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it’s Lexi’s own future that’s thrown into question… 

And that's it for this edition! I'm so keen for all these books! I say, BRING ON 2013 ALREADY! :D Let me know which ones you're putting on your radar!

Badass Bookie xx

Pushing the Limits

Review Time! Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is a 2012 YA Debut! Released July 25th in Australia and August 3rd in US - this is probably one of my most anticipated YA contemporaries of 2012! The cover is just gorgeous and Badass Bookie is also featuring Katie has August Debut of the Month! You can purchase a copy of the book from Fishpond | The Nile | Booktopia | Dymocks. Thanks to Harlequin Teen for the review copy!

(Goodreads) No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

The Short Story? -  Pushing the Limits is a powerful contemporary that will stay with you long after the last page. McGarry's debut is a bittersweet romance about love, loss, grief and moving on. Two of the most beautifully developed characters, a plot the will bring tears to your eyes and a love story that will touch your heart - Pushing the Limits is a phenomenal debut! For fans of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, here comes another favourite!

The Long Story? - Pushing the Limits was completely amazing! This one is definitely in my top 5 contemporaries of the year! Since hearing about it earlier this year, I knew I was going to like but I didn't think I was going to like it THIS MUCH. McGarry is a remarkable writer, to be able to switch between gender perspectives and to do it so well - that's something. I absolutely adored the story line, McGarry has incorporated a little bit of everything into the plot and the outcome is a spectacular love story with so much depth, it hurt to read in parts. Everything from the complicated romance to the loss and grief felt by both characters was deeply moving and incredibly touching. Paired with McGarry's beautiful narrative voice and prose, Pushing the Limits couldn't have been more perfect! Definitely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of Perfect Chemistry by simon Elkeles. Bad boys, good girls and an epic romance - a must read!

The characterisation is definitely my favourite part of the novel! Both Echo ( lovely name!) and Noah were beautiful characters. Authentic teenagers, each dealing with problems of their own. Both characters were easy to connect with and reading the novel through their perspectives was just amazing! Echo is probably one of my favourite female protagonists of this year, she's been through so so so much and yet she overcomes her loses and learns to love again. She deals with so many issues that teens everywhere can relate such as dysfunctional families, the loss of a loved one and a low self esteem. This girl really has been through hell and still manages to come up on top! Noah is really the driving force behind Echo. He's such an amazing character and the love he feels for Echo is so evident even through the pages. The thing that sets Noah aside from the other bad boys of YA fiction is that he, himself has been through a terrible childhood yet he still manages to be Echo's rock. They're a brilliant couple and their love story is phenomenal!

Overall, Pushing the Limits is a very well-written YA contemporary. It's a nice balance between the fun and the serious which are my favourite types of contemporaries! McGarry is a beautiful writer with a narrative voice that really just shines. An excellent plot, a heart-warming romance and characters that are down-to-earth and completely amazing and loveable. I would definitely recommend Pushing the Limits to readers of YA looking for something beautiful and memorable!

What's it Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck/ Break Out the Piggybank


Badass Bookie xx

In My Mailbox #54

It's Sunday morning which means In My Mailbox time! In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Basically we share our bookish haul for the week or in my case, my fortnight hurl! I'm too lazy to do it every week! These past two weeks have been quite quiet which is probably a good thing since my TBR pile has grown to an absurd size!

My Haul -

For Review -

ARC of Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett ( 2nd Copy)
ARC of Speechless by Hannah Harrington ( 2nd Copy)
ARC of Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
Rift by Andrea Cremer
Insignia by S.J. Kincaid (My Review)

(Thanks to Harlequin Teen, Hachette and 5 Mile Press!)

Gifted/Won - 

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
A Million Suns by Beth Revis

(Thanks to Melissa @ Book Nerd Reviews and Becca @ Omgf! Books)

That's it for this week! Link me to your IMM posts!

Badass Bookie xx